catalysts Article The Efficacy of Silver Nitrate (AgNO3) as a Coating Agent to Protect Paper against High Deteriorating Microbes Amr Fouda 1,* , Gomaa Abdel-Maksoud 2, Hosam A. Saad 3 , Adil A. Gobouri 3, Zuhair M. Mohammedsaleh 4 and Mohamad Abdel-Haleem El-Sadany 5 1 Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo 11884, Egypt 2 Conservation Department, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt;
[email protected] 3 Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia;
[email protected] (H.A.S.);
[email protected] (A.A.G.) 4 Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 71491, Saudi Arabia;
[email protected] 5 Adminstration of Conservation of Islamic Monuments in Mansoura, Dakahlia Governorate, Ministry of Antiquities, Cairo 26854, Egypt;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +20-11-1335-1244 Abstract: This study focuses on the efficacy of silver nitrate (AgNO3) as a coating agent used to preserve papers against microbial deterioration. To this end, the in vitro cytotoxicity of AgNO3 was assessed against two normal cell lines, WI-38 and HFB-4, to detect a safe dose that can be used as −1 a coating agent, which was 80 µg mL . Bacillus subtilis B3 and Penicillium chrysogenum F9 were selected as high deteriorating microbes, previously isolated from a historical manuscript dating back Citation: Fouda, A.; Abdel-Maksoud, to 1677 A.-D. The microbial growth inhibition, color change, mechanical properties, and cellulosic G.; Saad, H.A.; Gobouri, A.A.; fibers of untreated/treated papers were evaluated.